Finally got "Lisa Lou II" down to Mascoma Lake for initial launching. No leaks (wasn't really...
Boat Building
Boat Finally Complete
Little over 5 1/2 months work (maybe 600 man-hours) but finally completed scratch built Beach Pea....
Wooden Boat School
Just finished week at WBS - "Fitting out small boats". Bob Fuller was the instructor. Learned a...
Still On Hold
Can't catch a break with weather last week. Humidity just too high to get a good bonding paint...
So Close To Being Done
High humidity has everything stopped - can't paint when above 75% or so. Final punch list; Paint...
Hull Painted And Stemband On
2nd Coat on and drying - should be flipping over once more to complete. The brass oval keel guard...
Pretty Wood Getting Make-up
It's almost a shame that this wood is getting painted over, but that's how these boats were in the...
Trailex Trailer Kit (SUT-500)
How hard can it be to put together a kit trailer - after 3+ days of assembling/disassembling I...
Patterns, Patterns, and Patterns
Most people don't know that hand built boats (not kits with CNC parts) require many patterns - in...
Floorboards
Got the floorboards fitted. They are 3/8" Sapele Ply, 1/4" gaps and 3/8" round over. Since they...
Breasthook
Getting to the almost done phase. Hylan recommends beveling 8-degrees at center and splining...
Open Gunwale Designed and In Place
I decided to modify Hylans plans just a little. He uses 7/8" wide spacers with a 6" gap for his...
Floor Beams
Took longer than I though to laminate and fit the floors (the transverse rib-like structure). They...
Interior Structure Moving Along
Got the thwart risers on yesterday and cut all the 1/8" lams for the floor beams. Too hot today to...
Back To Maine – Another Class at WBS
Had been wait-listed since December and this class finally opened up. Should be fun and there are...
Clamps, Rails, Molds, and more Clamps
With the boat finally upright, have to install Gunwales, Rub Rails, etc... Hull was too flexible...
Right Side Up – Finally
Big step yesterday getting hull out of the molds and flipped right side up. Probably weight under...
All Planked Up
Finally got all the planks on - a bit challenging due to weather (too cold), length of strakes...
Self-Portrait
It was recently brought up that no selfies have been included in Beach Pea Build - so here it is....
3rd Plank And Some Problems
Something off with designers off-set dimensions. Not certain if my mistake or his. We did have...
2’nd Plank On
Takes me about 3 days to get a set of strakes prepared for the boat. That doesn't include at least...
First Pass Cleaning Bottom Board
Beginning to take shape - this is hardest plank to get right. If you look at aft end, you can get...
Garboard Done
Most difficult part of project (according to designer) completed this morning. Hylan says the...
Bottoms Up, and Garboard
Making real progress now that warm enough to use epoxy. One of the toughest thing on the boat is...
Cold Weather Slowing Me Down
Managed to get the bottom boards scarfed together but also broke the battens I was planning to...
Beach Pea Taking Shape
Beginning to look a little like a boat now. Heading to Boston in couple of days to pick up Sapele...
Shop Finally Gets Painted Bright
After waiting 9 months for pressure treated plywood to fully dry/cure finally warm enough (40...
Finalized Boat Colors
As temps dropped to low teens and it is snowing again not much can be done in shop. Decided to...
Molds Almost Completed
Took almost 30 man-hours and 3 sheets of 3/4 OSB but got the molds for Beach Pea. This is truly...
Beach Pea Progress
Couple of crazy warm days so in the shop today. We normally don't hit 45-degrees until late March...
Tool Update and Reviews
Been awhile since I've done any posts or tool reviews and since I've updated a few things and it's...
Garage/Beach Pea Configuration
Spent last day and a half working an optimized garage layout. Need a couple of long tables (16-ft)...
Beach Pea Update Jan-2024
A guy at the dog park mentioned he was building a "Pond Yacht" over the winter which is a 48-inch...
Last Thing Completed – Fasteners Ordered
This is the last thing I have on my to-do list until February (for Beach Pea). A bit pricey buy...
Review, Review, and Review
Have been reviewing blueprints, building instructions, and old class notes. One of my winter...
Warm day so working in garage
It is almost 40-degrees outside so decided to make some headway with stems. They have been inside...
Beach Pea Stems Laminated
Spent the past week glueing up (epoxy) Inner/Outer stems for Bow/Stern Beach Pea build. Was able...
Beach Pea – Stem Jig (10/21/23)
Almost completed the stem laminating jig. Had to cut into my temporary sawhorse top as jig was...
Beach Pea – Redux (10/19/23)
Got the drawings/plans last week - had to get the 13ft original Beach Pea from Wooden Boat and the...
Change in plans…
Officially pulled plug on my Penobscot 14 boat. Nailed the templates and molds to garage walls in...
Multi-functional Kayak Rack
Decided to build a kayak storage rack that could be used to: Stack both kayaks next to fence on...
WBS Penobscot 13 Build (Finished – Sept 9, 2023)
Day 0 (Sunday - Aug 27, 2023) Nice but long drive to Brooklin Maine - took scenic route via...
Garage/Shop – config until winter
Just finished last storage issue (4x8 sheets of plywood) and we actually test fit both vehicles in...
Boat Project – Day 1 and 2
Now that shop is almost done (still waiting on lighting to arrive) decided to start working my...
Plans Ordered From Arch Davis (Designer)
Now that the shop is set-up how I want... Note that I am going to build the little sister...
Shop Modifications Started/Finished
Decided to modify walls in shop. The open studs just collect sawdust and spider webs. Using...
Wooden Boat Show A Bust
Disapointing show - not many small boats. There were quite a number of 30ft+ traditional yachts,...
Swifty 14 Build finally starts Tuesday
We are finally getting the Eastman Boat Building Club "winter" project started this week. Another...
Dynamite Payson Book Review
Here are a couple of Dynamite's books in my collection. Mixed reviews on these. The Dory Model...
Fat Boat (Swampscott Dory) Lines
Just set down the lines for this little dory to see if you could get both plan and profile views...
Going Back to Wooden Boat School!
Heading back next summer to build a Penobscot 13 with the legendary designer/builder Arch Davis....
Reserve The Date – Wooden Boat Show
Just got this notice. Last year's at Port Townsend. Be an easier commute to Mystic!
Peapod – John’s update
John (guy who won raffle and took boat home) just updated everyone on how much he has completed....
Peapod – Finished at WBS
Last time I saw the boat in Maine - it had just came out of the shop. Pretty good looking - can't...
Peapod – Upright and Watertight
Almost complete - everything coated with epoxy. Just need to finish seats, floors, trunk, and...
Peapod – Out of the Molds
All the planks on, gunnels clamped. I always heard you can never have enough clamps.
Peapod – Moving Fast
Bottom on, garboard planks set - this took us a couple of days. Geoff showed a couple ways of...
Peapod – First Day
Ladder built, molds in at their stations. We did this pretty quickly as Geoff Kerr (Instructor)...
Wooden Boat School – Peapod build
Have been wanting to get to the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin Maine for a while. Was scheduled...
Dock at Wooden Boat School
Sony A600 Took while at WBS - believe a Sunday (only day off). Later that day, sailed around with...
Swifty Part 3 – completed
All done and ready to go to raffle. Not certain who won it, but I do know they were not from...
McInnis Bateau Carved Model
The McInnis Bateau is a design I have always admired. It is from the 1940's and was John McInnis...
Swifty Part 2
Getting there. Deck on and just a bunch of sanding and painting to complete
Eastman Boat Building – Phase 1
Partially completed Swifty 12 built by the Intergenerational Boat Building Club here in Eastman....